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Sidewalk Prophets was first formed in 2003 by lead singer David Frey and guitarist Ben McDonald while both were attending Anderson University in Indiana. Without their knowledge one of their demos was stolen, which was then entered into a contest, leading to their performance in the competition. This resulted in them catching the attention of a number of radio disc jockeys and label people, including Audio Adrenaline's Will McGinnis. McGinnis gave the chance to the duo to play for a huge crowd, interspersed with label executives, which led to a showcase event. Eventually, the then duo signed a deal with Word Records, and was joined by guitarist Shaun Tomczak, bassist Cal Joslin, and drummer Justin Nace.
Their first record with Word Records, which was entitled “These Simple Truths,” was released in 2009. The album went on to win a Dove Award for Best New Artist as well as a nomination for Pop/ Contemporary album of the Year. On top of that, the single “You Love Me Anyway” peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Christian Singles chart. The band went to tour with the Rock and Worship Roadshow with many other artists including MercyMe and Francesca Battiselli. Additionally, in 2011 the band was nominated for another award for Artist of the Year.
Their third album with Word Records entitled “Live Like That” was released in 2011 and even featured some of the band’s fans (who were selected through a contest to provide back up vocals). Sidewalk Prophets also released a Christmas album in 2012 entitled “Merry Christmas To You” through Fervent Records.
You Love Me Anyway is an incredibly catchy song, and hearing Dave Frey’s magically captivating voice ring out through the massive hall with the track was a wonderful start to the Sidewalk Prophets show. Listening to the recordings is wonderful, but seeing them live is another experience entirely. Each band member is incredibly talented, and the way that they all put backing vocals on the track in the live performance is something really special that gets missed from the recorded version.
Of course the message of the band is evident throughout their studio recordings, but listening to their Live Like That album from start to finish chronologically whilst watching their facial expressions and body language tell the story as well as the music was really magical. The entire band were great at getting us singing along in the audience, for instance the guitarists, Ben, would raise his arms when he wasn’t playing and sing loudly, getting everyone to sing along with him.
They’ve been lucky enough to tour extensively after achieving several awards, and having many of their tracks in the top 10 Christian charts, and it’s been a wonderful journey for them. They’re great song writers and performers, and the experience seeing them live trumps the recordings any day.
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